Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
I keep pushing to get to Mari. She should not be in this crowd. She’s pregnant! I can’t believe we didn’t think about the dangers earlier. Mari should’ve stayed with Jessica where she would be safe.
There are sirens somewhere in the distance, and they’re getting closer. The sound sends the crowd into a frenzy. This is what I feared would happen.
Using my elbows, I practically swim through people until I reach Mari. She looks at me with fear in her eyes.
“Mark, what is happening?”
“Just breathe. We’re getting out of here. It’s not safe for you.”
I glance down at her stomach so that she knows what I mean. Mari doesn’t argue with me. We hold hands, and I pull her to where I last saw John. He’s not there anymore. John is tall, but I can’t see him in the sea of people.
The sirens stop, and cops in riot gear surround the rally.
Mari screams. “What is going on, Mark? Why is this happening? We weren’t doing anything wrong!”
The sight of the cops makes the crowd even worse. People are pushing, shoving, and screaming. I pull Mari in front of me so that I can protect her with my body.
“Come on, let’s go. We’re going to get out of this, okay?”
Mari nods, but she’s starting to cry. What was supposed to be a nice rally is turning into mayhem.
The cops are screaming into their bullhorns about shutting down the rally.
“Crowd, disperse. This event is over. Crowd, disperse. This event is over.”
Of course, no one listens. The people on stage respond that we have a permit to be here, so they can’t get rid of us. Yes, we have a permit, but if someone thinks we’re a danger, the event can be shut down. A permit doesn’t allow you to go crazy.
Not that things were crazy before. Rachel jumped the gun by calling the police. I know exactly why she did it. Dr. Dryer wanted to stop the rally before it caught the media’s attention. She wouldn’t be able to deny her bias against MMF relationships if that happened.
If Rachel had a say in on-campus events, she would’ve shut this whole thing down before it even started. I’m glad that didn’t happen. It may be crazy now, but the rally had started off great. We did some good today. I won’t let Rachel ruin that.
A break appears in front of us, so Mari and I make a run for it. I keep my body around hers as best I can. We finally get back to where Jessica is. She looks like she’s freaking out.
“Mari! Oh, thank God. I was worried about you. Stay behind the table. You’ll be safe here.”
Mari moves behind the table, and Jessica hugs her tight. Mari is hysterical, so I’m glad her friend is here to help calm her down.
If only I could find John.
25
Mari
Where the hell is John? I scan the crowd for him, but he’s nowhere to be found. How could we have lost him? I swear, he was right next to Mark when we first walked into the thick of things.
We’ll find him. We have to. I pull out my phone to text him, but I have no service. That’s what happens when there are too many people crowded into a single place. Not even the campus Wi-Fi is working right now.
“Mark, where is John?”
Mark looks as worried as I am. “I don’t know. He was there one second and gone the next. I’m sure he’s out here somewhere. Lots of people were pushing and shoving even before the cops showed up.”
My heart pounds in my chest. The cops are here. This is not what was supposed to happen. It was going to be a peaceful rally. And it was, up until the police arrived.
“Why are they here?”
Mark nods toward the admin building stairs, which have become a sort of stage for people with something to shout. We still have a clear view, even from the edge of the crowd.
“Do you see Dr. Dryer? I’m pretty sure I watched her call for help.”
“But why? We weren’t doing anything!”
“Because she’s the one who started this mess. I’m sure she realizes that. She can’t get in trouble for discriminatory behavior if she pushes the focus onto the rally.”
“She should get in trouble! If she’s willing to do this to you and John, imagine what she has done and will do to others. This is why we need to fight!”
“I agree, but you’re pregnant, Mari. You can fight from the sidelines.”
Mark is right. I never should’ve gone out there. I was being reckless. My baby could’ve been hurt. I’m sure I can help the cause from outside the crowd. Maybe Jessica needs help at her table. I’m not in the frat, but she’d accept my help, anyway. Especially if I tell her it’s for the safety of the baby.